Disclaimer: Click your heels three times and return to the land of fanfic delusion where you can play as much as you want with characters and situations that don't belong to you—Not mine Not mine Not mine.

A/N: Still SLASH…still want reviews! Over a hundred people have read this far but there are still so few reviews. Reviews are important because they let me know what I'm doing well, what I should do better, how receptive you are to my ideas...yadda yadda...they also help me shape the following chapters. So review...no one writes in a vacuum.

4.

At five the next morning Draco, Molly Weasley and Madam Pomfrey were the first to leave. Draco kissed Harry good-bye and told him that he didn't need to wish him luck, he had faith. Before they flooed away Harry noticed the dark circles under silver eyes emphasised by the early morning light and noted with some worry that his lover was abnormally pale, and gaunt. Hermione drew him away from the fireplace once they'd gone.

"Focus Harry. You know what you need to do now."

He shook his head, "I know. I'm ready…Mione?"

She nodded sadly, "You finally noticed."

Worry filled the familiar green eyes, "How long has it been going on? Has he spoken to you about it?"

She shook her head, "It's been months, though he's been worse lately. He wouldn't tell me. He said he had to talk to you first. Things have been so busy since you came back I didn't know whether he'd had time."

Harry hung his head, "I wanted to talk to him last night but…I needed…we needed…"

Hermione hugged her best friend, "It's okay Harry. I understand. It's been months since you've seen each other or had any time alone together. Sometimes reaffirming love that way is more important than talking. There'll be time after the battle to talk about whatever it is that's been bothering him. And it's most likely nothing," she added lightly, "if I'd been apart from Ron for as long as you've been away I'd probably look the same way. He'll be fine."

Harry nodded and huffed out a breath, "I'm worrying for nothing aren't I?"

Hermione smiled, "Yes. Now get going, you have half hour to finish preparing and then the teams are leaving."

It took an hour to tear down the wards and nearly three more to breach the stronghold and then battle was vicious, for hours wizards and witches fell to Death Eater curses left and right, though the Order gave back as good as they'd gotten cutting swaths through the Death Eater ranks as they neared the manor. Senior mages set up an anti-appararition field around the estate cutting off any means of escape for their enemies as younger members of the Order and Aurors stormed the manor binding as many of their foes as possible.

Harry used his hated connection to the monstrous dark wizard to locate him in the twisting bowels beneath manor house confronting him finally in a small dungeon. The team he'd led focused their attack on the Death Eaters desperately trying to protect their master but in the end their efforts were futile. Harry poured his strength into the incantation to destroy Nagini then turned his focus to his nemesis.

"It's over Tom."

"Foolissh boy! Impudent child! You cannot dessstroy me! I am immortal! I am all-powerful! I am—"

"A pain in my arse! Say good-bye Tommy!" Harry pointed his wand at his enemy's heart and threw it all into his spell, all the pain of love lost, all his hope for love's future, all his love for his world, for his family and his friends knowing that the monster before him was the antithesis of life, love and the strength of the soul, "E à morte cundannatu!"

Voldemort was struck by a powerful beam of golden light and in that light he seemed to shrink on himself as the beam grew stronger and more vibrant until finally all in chamber had to look away. It seemed to last for days but really it was maybe an hour. It takes time for even the strongest spell to destroy that much accumulated evil. When the light and after-image faded only sooty ashes remained along with tattered bits of cloth, once the rich robes worn by the dark wizard known as Voldemort.

Realising their Lord's defeat the remaining Death Eaters attempted to flee but were quickly corralled by the Order members protecting Harry. Two hours after they'd entered Riddle Manor Ron lifted his barely conscious friend and activated the portkey to the Hogwarts infirmary.

"MADAM POMFREY! HARRY NEEDS HELP! MADAM POMFREY! MADAM POMFREY!" Ron called into the infirmary. Already most beds were full there was little space left but he wove his way through his wounded colleagues to an empty bed near the end of the ward and called again for the Matron.

Finally Madam Pomfrey appeared and pushed Ron away busy with diagnostic spells. She pulled several potions from her pockets and eased them down Harry's throat then scuttled away returning mere moments later with additional potions.

"What's wrong with him?" Ron rasped, his own injuries forgotten as he focussed his concern on his fallen friend.

The matron tsked, "The spell he'd planned on using was a powerful one, enough to destroy the Dark Lord but it required much of his own life energy to sustain. Add to that the fact of their connection and I surmise that when You-Know-Who was destroyed the spell pulled even more energy from Harry than it would have had they not been connected."

Ron took his friend's pale hand, "Will he live?" he croaked.

Madam Pomfrey nodded, "Oh yes. He needs rest and I've dosed him with restoratives and strengthening potions. He could have come out of this much worse but Harry is a very strong young man. He'll be just fine. I'd say he'll come 'round in a few hours and I wouldn't be surprised if he was up and about if not a bit fatigued by tomorrow."

She patted Ron's shoulder and frowned when he winced, "Hmm, I think I should take a look at you now young man."

Tbc...

A/N: Sorry for the short chapter but they'll get longer again soon, I just needed to get the final battle in there.

Oh and I got the idea for Harry's incantation from Savina Yannatou's Sumiglia. I don't speak Corsu though so it's probably a bit off.